Become An Engineer Influencer [Part 20] - 1,000 True Fans

Amazon Behavioral Interview [Part 10] - Anticipating Customer Needs (Evaluation)

This video provides feedback on an individual's response to a behavioral interview question: "Can you give me an example of when you were able to anticipate a customer need with a solution or product that they didn't know they needed yet?"

- **Strengths:**

  - The interviewee effectively demonstrated customer obsession by describing how they proactively identified and addressed customer needs before they escalated.
  - They highlighted the development of a predictive model to identify at-risk customers.
  - They described how they collaborated with the sales team to proactively reach out to these customers and address potential issues.
  - The interviewee also mentioned the unexpected benefit of this proactive approach: the opportunity to upsell premium support services to delighted customers.

- **Areas for Improvement:**

  - **Quantifying Impact:** While the interviewee mentioned a 75% conversion rate for upselling premium services, they could further enhance their response by quantifying other key outcomes, such as a reduction in customer escalations, improved customer satisfaction scores, or increased customer retention rates.
  - **Highlighting Leadership and Collaboration:** The interviewee could have further emphasized their leadership and collaboration skills by describing how they overcame resistance from within their team or obtained buy-in from other stakeholders for their proactive approach.
  - **Addressing Potential Challenges:** The interviewee could have proactively addressed potential challenges, such as the risk of over-escalation or the potential for misuse of the predictive model by the sales team.

- **Overall:** The interviewee provided a strong foundation for their response. By incorporating the suggested improvements, they can further enhance their ability to effectively communicate their accomplishments and demonstrate their leadership, problem-solving, and customer-centric approach in a job interview setting.

Learn more about Alan's job search program, Kadima Careers, using this [discount link](https://signup.kadimacareers.com/mQBsDvu).

Amazon Behavioral Interview [Part 22] - Disagreeing With Your Manager (Evaluation)

This video segment provides feedback on an individual's response to a behavioral interview question about navigating a disagreement with a manager.

- **Identified Potential Concerns:** The feedback highlights potential concerns about the interviewee's response, specifically regarding its potential impact on how an Amazon interviewer might perceive the candidate's "bias for action."

  - The initial disagreement with the manager's unrealistic 15-minute response time could be perceived negatively, as Amazon highly values individuals who demonstrate strong initiative and a bias for action.
  - The interviewee's acknowledgment of the initial failure to meet the 15-minute target could be interpreted as a lack of commitment or a reluctance to fully embrace the manager's directive.

- **Suggested Improvements:** To address these concerns, the feedback suggests that the interviewee could have:

  - **Emphasized proactive problem-solving:** Instead of simply acknowledging the initial failure, the interviewee could have highlighted their proactive efforts to gather data, analyze the situation, and propose an alternative solution that was more realistic and achievable.
  - **Demonstrated commitment to the team's success:** The interviewee could have further emphasized their commitment to the team's success by describing how they actively engaged with stakeholders, addressed their concerns, and ultimately achieved the revised goal of a 90th percentile response time within one hour.
  - **Framed the disagreement constructively:** Instead of focusing on the initial disagreement and the perceived failure to meet the 15-minute target, the interviewee could have framed the situation as a learning opportunity and emphasized their ability to adapt and find a successful solution that aligned with the team's capabilities and customer needs.

- **Overall:** The feedback emphasizes the importance of demonstrating a strong bias for action, a commitment to achieving goals, and the ability to navigate disagreements constructively in an Amazon interview setting. By incorporating these suggestions, the interviewee can enhance their ability to effectively communicate their accomplishments and demonstrate their suitability for a role at Amazon.

Learn more about Alan's job search program, Kadima Careers, using this [discount link](https://signup.kadimacareers.com/mQBsDvu).

How Managers Hire Great Engineers [Part 16] - Follow Up

If at first you don't succeed, try try again. From this lesson, you will:

- Learn the impact of follow-up emails, which can significantly enhance response rates when sent in addition to an initial email
- Discover tools like Mixmax and features within ATS systems like Ashby that can automate the follow-up process and track email openings
- Understand the strategy of escalating outreach, involving higher levels of management, to engage high-value candidates effectively

Connect with John Egan on LinkedIn: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/jwegan/>

Promotion Dialog Examples

In this lesson, we examine how *not* to ask for a promotion, then show how to reframe the conversation in a way that aligns incentives, builds trust, and opens up productive dialogue with our EM.

- We highlight that asking “Can I get promoted?” is a poor approach because it’s self-focused, lacks evidence, feels transactional, and corners the manager into a yes/no response.
- We break down why this framing fails: it signals entitlement, doesn’t show impact, ignores team goals, and provides no data or context for advocacy.
- We offer a better alternative: expressing commitment to the team, desire to increase impact, and asking what steps are needed to reach the next level—an open-ended, collaborative question.
- We explain that managers value signals of long-term commitment and team-oriented motivation, not demands based on tenure or frustration.
- We reinforce that smart framing aligns our goals with the manager’s incentives: helping us grow increases team impact, which helps them succeed too.

Amazon Behavioral Interview [Part 32] - Missing A Commitment (Evaluation)

This video segment provides feedback on an individual's response to a behavioral interview question about a time they failed to meet a commitment.

- **Strengths:**

  - **Relevant and Engaging Story:** The interviewee provided a compelling and relevant example by describing a critical incident during the Super Bowl, a high-pressure situation.
  - **Honest Acknowledgement of Failure:** The interviewee openly acknowledged the failure and took responsibility for the issue.
  - **Detailed Explanation:** The interviewee provided a detailed explanation of the situation, including the specific challenges encountered (e.g., software bug, communication issues), the impact of the failure, and the steps taken to address the issue.
  - **Focus on Learning and Improvement:** The interviewee highlighted the key learnings from the experience, such as the importance of thorough testing, robust contingency plans, and clear escalation procedures.
  - **Positive Outcome:** The interviewee emphasized that the team ultimately resolved the issue and learned valuable lessons, demonstrating their ability to learn and adapt.

- **Areas for Potential Improvement:**

  - **Deeper Dive into Root Cause Analysis:** The interviewee could have provided more detail on the specific steps taken to identify the root cause of the software bug and how the team prevented similar issues from occurring in the future.
  - **Highlighting Leadership:** The interviewee could have further emphasized their leadership role in addressing the situation, such as:
    - Taking ownership of the problem and communicating proactively with stakeholders.
    - Motivating the team to work together to find a solution.
    - Effectively communicating the resolution to all stakeholders.

- **Overall:**

  - This was a strong response that effectively demonstrated the interviewee's ability to:
    - Acknowledge and learn from mistakes.
    - Take responsibility for their actions.
    - Demonstrate problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
    - Highlight their ability to work effectively under pressure and as part of a team.
    - Communicate their experiences clearly and concisely.

Learn more about Alan's job search program, Kadima Careers, using this [discount link](https://signup.kadimacareers.com/mQBsDvu).

It Depends

After exploring the wide range of pros and cons of working at Big Tech companies, the speakers emphasize that choosing this career path is highly personal and should align with one's individual goals and priorities.

- **No One-Size-Fits-All Answer**: The intention isn’t to prescribe a particular path, but rather to offer transparency around what working at Big Tech is really like—information they wish they'd had early in their careers.
- **Reflect on Personal Priorities**: It's crucial to explicitly list what matters most in a career - whether that’s compensation, work-life balance, tech stack, team culture, or product space—and then align job choices accordingly.
- **Framework for Decision-Making**: By identifying top 2–3 priorities and working backward from those, engineers can better evaluate whether Big Tech aligns with their long-term goals.

Understanding The Role

If you want direct interview support from Alex and Uzair, take their live Maven course with discount code **TARO10**: <https://maven.com/alex-kliotzkin/acing-em-interviews>

This part of the course explains why becoming an engineering manager (EM) is not just a promotion—it’s a **career pivot**. Understanding the differences in scope and responsibilities between individual contributors and managers is essential to succeed in EM interviews and in the role itself.

- **Role Shift:** Transitioning from engineer to EM means moving from primarily technical tasks to handling broader responsibilities involving people and strategy.
- **Scope vs. Focus:** Senior engineers focus on deep technical problems, while EMs begin to balance both technical and organizational concerns; directors and VPs go even further toward people/strategy.
- **Career Tracks Diverge:** Staying on the IC track keeps you focused on technology, but switching to EM roles sets you on a path toward executive leadership (e.g., director, VP).
- **Lack of Preparation:** Most engineers aren’t trained to manage people or lead strategically, which causes difficulties when transitioning into EM roles.
- **Wrong Reasons:** Some pursue management purely to climb the ladder, which can result in disengaged or ineffective leaders who use their teams as stepping stones.

Hi, I’m Uzair

If you want direct interview support from Alex and Uzair, take their live Maven course with discount code **TARO10**: <https://maven.com/alex-kliotzkin/acing-em-interviews>

Uzair is an experienced engineering manager with a passion for helping other leaders grow and succeed in their careers. With a solid background in software development and extensive hiring experience, he brings deep insight into the engineering management interview process.

- Currently serves as an engineering manager at Stripe, with previous experience at Amazon
- Has over 10 years of engineering management experience across tech companies and consulting firms, and more than 20 years in software development overall
- Former Amazon bar raiser, responsible for upholding high hiring standards across 250+ interviews conducted at Amazon and over 750 total in his career
- Has trained, managed, and promoted more than 15 engineering managers
- Brings a wealth of knowledge in both leadership development and technical interviewing to support aspiring engineering managers

Amazon Behavioral Interview [Part 14] - Delivering Results (Evaluation)

This video provides feedback on an individual's response to a behavioral interview question.

- **Strengths:**

  - **Strong Storytelling:** The interviewee effectively set the scene, highlighting the chaotic situation with multiple communication channels and the potential for critical issues to slip through the cracks.
  - **Clear and Concise Solution:** They clearly outlined their solution: creating a single point of entry for all escalations.
  - **Demonstrated Collaboration:** The interviewee emphasized the importance of cross-functional collaboration, highlighting their efforts to gain buy-in from stakeholders, including the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO).
  - **Acknowledged Challenges:** The interviewee acknowledged the challenges they faced, such as initial resistance from some stakeholders and the need to address concerns about the new process.
  - **Quantifiable Results:** They demonstrated the success of their solution by highlighting the significant increase in compliance with the new process.

- **Areas for Improvement:**

  - **Quantify Impact Further:** While the interviewee mentioned increased compliance, they could have further quantified their impact by mentioning specific metrics, such as a reduction in the number of unresolved escalations, improved customer satisfaction scores, or cost savings associated with the improved efficiency.
  - **Highlight Leadership and Ownership:** While the interviewee acknowledged the support of their leadership, they could have further emphasized their own leadership and initiative in driving the project forward.
  - **Address Potential Concerns Proactively:** The interviewee could have proactively addressed potential concerns, such as the initial resistance from some stakeholders, and outlined the steps they took to mitigate these concerns.

- **Overall:** The interviewee provided a strong foundation for their response. By incorporating the suggested improvements, they can further enhance their ability to effectively communicate their accomplishments and demonstrate their leadership, problem-solving, and results-oriented approach in a job interview setting.

Learn more about Alan's job search program, Kadima Careers, using this [discount link](https://signup.kadimacareers.com/mQBsDvu).

Become An Engineer Influencer [Part 19] - What If Nothing Works?

Thoughts On Management

In this lesson, **Adam Ernst**, Software Engineer at **Meta**, explains why he chose to remain on the **Individual Contributor (IC)** career path instead of transitioning into engineering management. He discusses how understanding his strengths, interests, and motivations helped shape his career, why deep technical expertise can be more valuable than constantly switching domains, and how long-term specialization enabled him to become a trusted expert within Meta's mobile engineering organization.

- **Know What Motivates You:** Adam chose to remain an Individual Contributor because his greatest passion is writing code and solving technical problems. He recognized that management requires a different skill set—such as organizational leadership, direction setting, and people management—that did not align with his strengths or interests.
- **Build Deep Expertise Over Constant Change:** Rather than frequently changing teams or technologies, Adam stayed within mobile engineering, allowing him to develop deep institutional knowledge and become an expert in the architecture, tooling, and infrastructure that powered Meta's iOS ecosystem.
- **Career Paths Should Match Your Strengths:** Adam emphasizes that there is no universally "correct" career path. While some engineers thrive by exploring new domains such as AI or AR/VR, others create greater impact by mastering a specific area. The key is aligning your career choices with the type of work you genuinely enjoy and excel at.

Original podcast link: [**https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA_OYJF3Mmw**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA_OYJF3Mmw)

Amazon Behavioral Interview [Part 15] - Going Above and Beyond For A Customer (Answer)

This video segment describes a situation where the interviewee went above and beyond to help a dissatisfied customer.

- **Identified a Customer Issue:** The interviewee encountered a platinum card customer who was extremely upset because their car, which was damaged while skiing, was not covered by the card's rental insurance due to a specific exclusion in the terms and conditions.
- **Went Above and Beyond:** Despite the company policy, the interviewee recognized the customer's frustration and proactively sought a resolution. They:
  - Investigated the issue and identified the relevant policy.
  - Engaged with internal stakeholders, including the product team and a senior executive, to advocate for the customer.
  - Successfully secured approval for a $4,000 statement credit to cover the repair costs.
  - Further impressed the customer by arranging for a check to be mailed directly, providing a more tangible and personalized gesture of goodwill.
- **Achieved Positive Outcomes:**
  - The customer was highly satisfied with the resolution and even became a testimonial for the company.
  - The company retained a valuable customer who was initially considering canceling their card.
  - The incident led to a review of the policy and improved communication regarding the scope of rental car insurance coverage.

This example demonstrates the interviewee's commitment to customer satisfaction, their ability to navigate internal processes, and their proactive approach to resolving customer issues.

Learn more about Alan's job search program, Kadima Careers, using this [discount link](https://signup.kadimacareers.com/mQBsDvu).

The Sales Engineering Career Path (And How To Become One)

The sales engineering role combines technical expertise with sales skills as an alternative career path. Even if you don't want to become a full-time sales engineer, many of the skills that are essential for sales engineers are directly applicable for strong software engineers.

🛠️ **Learn Why Engineers are in the Best Position to Sell:**

- Explore the intersection of coding and client interaction that defines the Sales Engineering role.
- Learn why Sales Engineering might be the ideal choice for software engineers looking to blend their technical prowess with business dealings.

💡 PRO TIP: **Sales Presentation and Demo Flow For the Best Outcomes:**

- Gain insights into the advantages of pursuing a career in Sales Engineering, from enhanced earning potential to dynamic job roles.
- Understand how your unique skill set can significantly impact client-facing roles within the technology industry.

🔍 **Explore What Career Options Exist in Sales Engineering:**

- Explore different career paths within Sales Engineering and understand the growth potential.
- Learn about real-world success stories from software engineers who have transitioned into Sales Engineering roles.

Taro member discount is available for the [**2-week cohort-based course**](https://maven.com/techsales/sales-for-software-engineers?promoCode=TARO).

Course conducted by: [**https://www.linkedin.com/in/kbalachandran/**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kbalachandran/)

Explore more on Taro: 

- [Should I become a sales engineer?](https://www.jointaro.com/question/CZdBlFzIDk4rxaLJ1jzu/should-i-become-a-sales-engineer/)
- [How do you "sell" your work and show impact as an aspiring Staff Engineer?](https://www.jointaro.com/question/Zr5koQ1TGgx8GzSAquwG/how-do-you-sell-your-work-and-show-impact-as-an-aspiring-staff-engineer/)

The Squeaky Wheel

In this lesson, we discuss how **individual career ambitions and communication can influence decisions during a reorganization**. Leaders are rarely considering business needs alone—they are also balancing retention risks and what individual employees have communicated about their goals. This creates an uncomfortable reality: employees who clearly advocate for what they want may receive more consideration than equally strong performers who remain quiet and assume their work will speak for itself.

- **Reorg decisions balance business and people:** Leaders may shape an organization around both business objectives and the career ambitions, retention risks, and demands of individual employees.
- **The “squeaky wheel” can get more attention:** When two employees perform similarly, a manager may prioritize the person who has been more vocal about their expectations or more likely to leave.
- **Career advocacy matters:** Being reliable and agreeable doesn’t guarantee that leaders understand what you want. Employees who clearly communicate their ambitions and ask for opportunities give managers more information to consider when making organizational decisions.

Original podcast link:[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WaeGfLnRvc&t=24s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WaeGfLnRvc&t=24s)

Become An Engineer Influencer [Part 24] - Consulting

Leaving An Executive Role To Become A Teacher

[**Ethan Evans**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanevansvp/) is a retired Amazon VP who now teaches managers how to break into executive levels. He was at Amazon for 15 years, and he became a VP in 2013 until he left in 2020.

Ethan could have spent several more decades in high-powered engineering leadership roles, but he chose to leave his lucrative career at Amazon to focuse on personal development coaching and teaching.

**Reason for leaving Amazon:**

- Ethan found more satisfaction in helping people develop than building things. He actually wanted to scale his impact beyond at Amazon with the role of upgrading the whole eng team.
- Amazon wasn't receptive to his ideas for talent development initiatives. they told him the best bet was for him to become the VP of Eng for the HR products.

**Today, Ethan is focused on** teaching individuals for career development. He creates and shares free content (e.g., daily writing on LinkedIn) and then offers paid coaching and training programs for high-potential individuals.

**Motivation for charging for some services:**

- Belief that people value paid services more than free ones.
- Desire to focus limited time on highly motivated clients.
- Money is not the primary driver but it is important for reaching a wider audience and sustaining the work.
- Charging for high-value services from those who can afford it is ethical and practical.

Ethan is now pursuing his passion to help people grow and achieve their career goals. He's adopted a hybrid approach of free and paid services to maximize their impact and reach.

More to explore: 

- [\[Case Study\] Building An Engineering Brand - Why And How (LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, Substack)](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/t06NajpS2kSCk98IEmQm/case-study-building-an-engineering-brand-why-and-how-linkedin-youtube-twitter-substack/)
- [When does it make sense to leave big tech?](https://www.jointaro.com/question/v6GBLlfXb1ugNobkEm7w/when-does-it-make-sense-to-leave-big-tech/)
- [I'm Greg, Ex-Google/Netflix current Director at Disney. AMA!](https://www.jointaro.com/question/CdPjNOXvU882180yzs6R/im-greg-ex-googlenetflix-current-director-at-disney-ama/?a=X1zCA1EgxqdSBELHLfkO)

Senior Managers Adam Admires

In this lesson, **Adam Ernst**, Software Engineer at **Meta**, reflects on the engineers he most admires throughout his career and the qualities that set them apart. Rather than attributing success to a single skill, Adam highlights how exceptional engineers excel in different ways—from writing code and debugging complex systems to communicating ideas, launching new initiatives, and aligning teams. He emphasizes that there is no single blueprint for becoming a high-impact Individual Contributor.

- **Exceptional Engineers Have Different Superpowers:** Adam highlights colleagues who excel in distinct areas, including high-volume coding, deep debugging, launching ambitious projects, technical communication, and organizational alignment. There is no single path to becoming an outstanding engineer.
- **Leverage Your Strengths While Appreciating Others':** Adam recognizes that his own strengths lie in hands-on engineering, while others surpass him in areas such as cross-team leadership, strategic communication, and stakeholder management. Great engineering organizations thrive because individuals bring complementary skills.
- **Learn from Role Models, Not Copies:** Rather than trying to emulate one person completely, Adam encourages engineers to study the specific qualities they admire in others—whether it's technical depth, problem-solving, writing, or leadership—and incorporate those strengths into their own unique career path.

Original podcast link: [**https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA_OYJF3Mmw**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA_OYJF3Mmw)

Become An Engineer Influencer [Part 21] - Networking

How Do I Talk Without Sounding Chaotic?

In this lesson we talk about how to communicate effectively during an AI-assisted coding interview without sounding scattered, frantic, or going completely silent.

- **Avoid the two extremes** — narrating every single keystroke comes across as junior, while going silent for several minutes leaves the interviewer in the dark; the goal is to sound controlled and intentional somewhere in between.
- **Choose the communication model that fits your thinking style** — Model A is light, continuous commentary as you work ("I'm pulling the date out of each event to populate the per-day set"), while Model B is stating your high-level intent upfront, working silently for 60–90 seconds, then summarizing what you did before repeating the cycle.
- **Practice talking while you work before the interview** — like touch typing, verbalizing your thought process while solving a problem is a skill that needs to be rehearsed, not figured out on the spot; a few mock sessions with a friend or mentor can make a significant difference.

Tech Career Growth Videos

Our instructional videos provide software engineers with insights needed for career growth. Masterclasses go incredibly in-depth on a specific tech topic while case studies are real examples from established engineering leaders.